Ransomware will continue to dominate the cyber security landscape , with a new report from security specialists ESET forecasting the ‘ year of ransomware ’ will continue into 2017 . ESET ’ s Trends 2017 : Security held ransom presents key cyber security topics of relevance for both businesses and consumers about the latest threats taking shape in the new year and identifies ransomware as a key threat to protect against . The report suggests ransomware will continue en masse . “ We anticipate a new trend on the horizon : The Ransomware of Things or RoT , i.e . the possibility of cybercriminals “ hijacking ” devices such as home security cameras and then demanding a ransom payment Attack.Ransom in exchange for restoring control to the user , ” ESET says in the report . Nick FitzGerald , senior research fellow at ESET agrees that ransomware attacks Attack.Ransom will continue to increase in ANZ throughout 2017 . “ Ransomware was a serious security problem throughout 2016 . ESET takes no joy from having been on the right side of that prediction , nor in predicting that ongoing ransomware developments and ensuing success for the cybercriminals behind it seems likely to continue apace into 2017 , ” FitzGerald says . “ As wealthy markets , Australia and New Zealand are often targeted in ransomware campaigns Attack.Ransom , and online users should continue to be especially wary of unsolicited email with attachments or URLs , and ‘ too good to be true ’ offers , ” he says . According to FitzGerald , with the cost of cybercrime rising more than 200 % over the past five years alone , ESET assembled the report to not only help businesses and individuals understand the advanced tactics and techniques employed by criminal hackers , but to safeguard against threats in the coming year . “ Considering the adverse reputational as well as financial impacts which result from cybercrime , it is critical that all users are aware of the types of attacks that can affect them , ” he says . “ The report also highlights the importance of continual education as one of the essential components for staying safe online and offers its readers simple steps for raising one ’ s level of awareness ” .

On March 24 , 2017 , a member of a top-tier Russian cyber criminal forum posted an advertisement for “ Fatboy , ” a new ransomware-as-a-service ( RaaS ) product . The advertiser , operating under the username “ polnowz , ” describes Fatboy as a partnership , offering support and guidance through Jabber . While the RaaS has not yet received any endorsements or feedback from the hacking community , on March 26 , “ ilcn , ” a reputable member of the forum , offered to assist polnowz with translation in the product . The Fatboy ransomware is dynamic in the way it targets its victims ; the amount of ransom demanded Attack.Ransom is determined by the victim ’ s location . According to polnowz , Fatboy uses a payment scheme based on The Economist ’ s Big Mac Index ( cited as the “ McDonald ’ s Index ” in the product description ) , meaning that victims in areas with a higher cost of living will be charged more to have their data decrypted . Purchasers of the Fatboy RaaS partner directly with the author of the malware and not through a third-party vendor . Potential partners also receive payment Attack.Ransom instantly when a victim pays their ransom Attack.Ransom , adding another level of transparency to this partnership . Since February 7 , 2017 , the author of the Fatboy RaaS has purportedly earned at least $ 5,321 USD from their own ransomware campaigns Attack.Ransom using this product . A computer infected with the Fatboy malware will display the above message , explaining that the user ’ s files have been encrypted , stating the ransom Attack.Ransom amount , and warning the user against interfering with the ransomware . The level of transparency in the Fatboy RaaS partnership may be a strategy to quickly gain the trust of potential buyers . Additionally , the automatic price adjustment feature shows an interest in customizing malware based on the targeted victim . Organizations should be aware of the adaptability of Fatboy , as well as other ransomware products , and continuously update their cyber security strategies as these threats evolve .